Barcelona is one of the most emblematic cities of Europe. Located on the Mediterranean coast, the city of Gaudi offers wonderful sightseeing. You should take a ride on the orange double eckers called “Barcelona Tour” that allow you to go down every time you want and then go up when you want to continue with the rest of your trip.

But for others there is another way to know this Mediterranean city: simply hire a taxi for the day and take you sightseeing Barcelona is much comfortable and personalized service. One thing you should remember if you are a taxi fan: negociate the price before hand. They normally have credit card terminals and GPS and most of them render a very good and serious service.

Once you had your general tour of the “ciutat condal”, Barcelona denomination originated in the Count Of Barcelona, you should definitely visit Las Ramblas, the boulevard that ends into the old port, by the sea where Columbus statue awaits with the finger pointed to the “Americas”, though not quite giving the orientation as in fact he is pointing to Africa. Let’s forget that one to the City Hall clerks in charged with the placement of Christopher Columbus monument. But anyhow, the symbolism of his gesture is there. In the same square the naval museum is worth visit, they have impressive ships from Medieval period “caravelas” as well as an interesting and ancient map collection.

Then, there are the masterpieces of Gaudi and I must tell you they are impressive as if they were alive, somehow, especially the one called “La Pedrera” but I particularly like Batll House and one of his earlier works: Vicens House that is not located in the center of Barcelona. And of course, Sagrada Familia that should not be missed.

The Catholic Cathedral in Barcelona is gorgeous though they are in the middle of restoration process but even so, it is worth visit. It has a pleasant interior patio, with a beautiful garden and from there you can lose yourself on the narrow streets of the Medieval barrio of Barcelona, which is absolutely amazing. The architecture is well-preserved and you can admire the bolts and passages suspended in the air from one building to another, near the Cathedral’s wright wing. And if you follow the street, eventually, on your wright, you’ll find the beautiful Sant Jaume Square where you can see the “Palau de la Generalitat”, which is the Government of Catalonia, very distinguished and elegant building.

For those of you who are in mood for the new Barcelona, don’t miss the Barrio Olimpic or with the new sea port built for the ’92 Olympics where you can admire the modern skyscrapers of the financial area of Barcelona. Near the port you will have a wide variety of restaurants to ease your hungry after such a marathon. Their specialities are fish and meat dishes but not only. My advice is to try and avoid paella if it’s not a rice-specialized restaurant because otherwise you would be very disappointed of this dish. It’s a great food, but only few restaurants will cook it properly outside Valencia, which is the original region for paella.

You should visit also the Gardens near the Catalonian Regional Parliament and check with any Tourist Information Office (you can find them in every important square or monument) the days when you can actually go and visit the inside of the Parliament because it is definitely worth it.

Not to try in Barcelona: Jamon. The famous Spanish ham is not something one can taste so up north of the country, it will be expensive and not good, so stay away. If you really insist on eating jamon, though, it’s best you go the “El Corte Ingles Supermarket” and buy it there. Take into account that in order to be a decent ham, it should cost an average of 80-90 euros per kilogram. Anything under, is pure raw meat and I would not recommend it to anyone. Gazpacho. Again this cold soup is not from this part of the country. The original gazpacho is a cold soup made of tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, fresh green pepper, salt and water, nothing less. They sometimes add a piece of onion too. Anything that hasn’t all these ingredients, is something else, but not Gazpacho.

What your should try: Fish, cooked in many ways, from grilled to steamed or cooked in the oven with fresh vegetable, rices or covered in a garlic mouseline (a fine cover of garlic mayonnaise) it’s delicious. Can Mauri: is a place which I call the Gourmet Cathedral of Barcelona. You can have, breakfast and lunch and take away many exquisite both traditional and innovative dishes and never leave this place. The pastry and the desserts are also a piece of art at Can Mauri and they have a very curious and ancient way of serving customers which is based on trust. Don’t forget the address is Rambla de Catalunya 102!

There are many other things to say but I plan on doing it on further articles dedicated to this superb city. If you haven’t planned your voyage yet, check the hotels there and book it in advance because in Barcelona things can get quite difficult when it comes to accommodation and not only in summer time.

Author: Jared Burrows

The Gothic Quarter in Barcelona

Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter or Barri Gótic is a wonderful part of the city. It is the true ancient heart of Barcelona and parts of it date back to Roman times – with the ancient Roman streets still to be seen in an underground museum.

The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona – known to the locals as the Barri Gótic is the true center of old Barcelona. The site was chosen by invading Roman armies about two thousand years ago to found a new town or colony. It has been the administrative center of Barcelona ever since. It remains a popular part of this bustling city – both with locals and tourists alike.

Barcelona’s old Roman forum was on the same site that was later occupied by the ancient parliament of Catalonia and – later still – by the modern town hall. Not far away stand the amazing Gothic cathedral and the royal palace – the scene of the welcome home party for Christopher Columbus as he returned from the new world in 1492. You can find the monument erected to mark his success at the other end of Las Ramblas – down by the beach.

The cathedral is a largely medieval building with a nineteenth century facade and spire. Its treasures include ancient Catalan paintings and dramatic carved Gothic cloisters and choir stalls. The martyred Saint Eulalia lies beneath the main altar and the whole building is full of drama and color.

Barcelona’s town hall was first built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The famous statue of The Three Gypsy Boys stands in the entrance hall and the building has retained many of its historic features – both internally and externally.

Nearby stands the Palau de la Generalitat – the Catalan parliament building. This building has superb Gothic features including an ancient chapel and a stone staircase that rises to a high arcaded gallery.

You can still see parts of the old Roman city wall and the cities historical archives are to be found in the Archdeacons house or Casa de L’Ardiaca – an ancient building standing right on the roman wall.

Other Gothic Quarter highlights are the museum dedicated to Frederic Mares and the Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat. The latter houses the most extensive – and most impressive – underground Roman ruins in the world. If you visit then you can see and walk the streets of Roman Barcelona – and visit an exhibition dedicated to how the city grew in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is also popular for its restaurants and bars – and there are a number of apartments to rent for tourists and locals alike.

The Barri Gotic lies just off Las Ramblas – one of the world’s most famous streets. A stroll down it with its tree shaded central area lets you walk all the way to the seafront beach area – taking in the shops,

La Rambla Barcelona

cafes and mansions as you go. The name Las Ramblas or Les Rambles in Catalan comes from the Arab word Ramla – which means the dried up bed of a seasonal river.

The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is a great place to spend a day – just enjoy the atmosphere and feel the mingle of modern and ancient history before settling down for Tapas and wine in one of the many small bistro style restaurants nearby.

Gothic Quarter Apartment in Barcelona
The Barri Gótic or Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is the perfect place to rent an apartment for either a short or a longer stay.

Staying in Spanish Hotels

Taking a vacation in Spain is probably one of the best gifts that you can give to yourself or to your loved ones. This is a nice place where you can relax and have fun together with your family. Here, you can forget your work and enjoy the enchanting beauty of the place for a couple of days.

Nevertheless, there are lots of different beautiful places that you will definitely enjoy when you visit this stunning country.

by Harvey Ong

Often people think about a holiday to a Mediterranean country such as Spain as a very expensive and difficult trip to plan. This is simply not true. There is a good selection of cheap holidays to Spain that include airfare, hotels and even car rentals or tours once you arrive.

Looking for one of the many cheap holidays to Spain is simple if you have access to a computer and the internet. Many of the online booking companies offer discount packages if you travel slightly off season, which may mean planning your vacation either just in front or just behind the peak tourist season. In Spain the peak vacation times are the summer months of June to September, but the warm weather often extends well past September and even in April and May. Planning your vacation just off the main tourist times will usually give you cheaper flights, cheaper hotels and a lot less people around. Another option is to take last minute flights that have not sold, often these flights are a fraction of the price but do require a lot of flexibility.

Staying in hostels is a great way to have cheap holidays to Spain but many hostels have requirements on age and time that you can stay. Sticking to individual hotels rather than the larger chain hotels can also provide slightly decreased costs, plus it allows you to really experience the culture of the area. Another option is to stay in one place that has a good low daily rate and simply travel using rental cars, buses or even the train on day trips to see the surrounding areas. One of the best ways to decrease the costs of a trip to Spain is to stay just slightly off the beaten path. Many of the smaller towns around the larger cities have wonderful accommodations at a fraction of the price. Meals, food and drink are often much more reasonable in smaller areas than in the big cities.

A rail pass is a relatively inexpensive way to get around the country and saves the traveler from having to navigate the roads and deal with a rental car. Rail or train travel is popular and inexpensive throughout Europe and the rail passes can be used outside of Spain, making them a good cost saving idea for cheap holidays in Spain.

Terry Roberts is a professional linguist and translator who has lived in Spain for over 30 years. To read more travel advice and tips for your next trip to Spain, visit his website at Travel to Spain.

By Terry Roberts

The centuries have seen flamenco progress from sombre, home based songs expressing feelings of hardship, to popular stage shows throughout the world. First performed by gypsies, it is an expressive form of dance, which has its roots in Andalucia, Spain.

Flamenco dancing is an expressive form of dance, which has its roots in Andalucia, Spain and more specifically, according to some experts, in Jerez de la Frontera. It originated among Indian gypsies who had arrived and settled in Spain after traveling around Europe in the early part of the 15th century, to later be joined by others who came from North Africa.

The gypsies brought with them their own language, Romano, and an oriental style of music never before heard on the Spanish mainland. As the centuries passed, the cultures of the local population of Jews and later the Moors all had an influence on the gypsy music with elements from their musical styles being incorporated.

From their arrival in Spain, the gypsies were classified as outcasts of society and special laws were made specifically for them. Forced to live in camps as they were not allowed to own any property, many took up work in local mines or in the fields of the region leaving those with any sort of skill to make a slightly better living in work such as blacksmiths and jewelers.

The people were treated badly and the flamenco song (the cante) was initially performed at family gatherings as a way to express feelings of depression and misery. During the early years, flamenco is thought to have been entirely a vocal art form, which was accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of hands.

King Carlos III changed the fortunes of the gypsies in the 18th century when he removed their specific laws and gave them the same rights as other Spanish citizens; however, this did not remove the stigma of mistrust that the Spanish people had of them. Due to their newfound freedom, the gypsies were able to improve their financial status and some of the previously out of reach items such as musical instruments became within their means, hence the arrival of the guitar (el toque) and its addition to the cante.

As the flamenco style of music became more popular near the end of the last century, performers began to appear at parties of the richer members of society with professionals staging the music and dance, the most popular of which were the fandangos, at ‘cafes cantantes’.

The ‘opera flamenca’ period followed as the flamenco gained in popularity and began to appear in theatre stage shows. These, however, tended to focus more on the melodic style of music – cante bonito – which did not express the passion as much as the early gypsy styles.

As the Second World War progressed through Europe there was little prospect of performances on stage, but during the 1950s festivals in Andalucian towns such as Malaga, Jerez and Cordoba rekindled public interest producing a new generation of performers.

The motions and facial expressions of the female flamenco dancers can be compared to those of Oriental dancers with the only exception being that they are more forceful. Each style of dance uses a handheld musical instrument – the flamenco dancer, castanets and the oriental dancer, finger cymbals – however; the cymbals used in flamenco are not traditional and have only been in use for the last 100 years or so.

The centuries have seen flamenco progress from sombre, home songs expressing feelings of hardship to popular stage shows throughout the world that continues to be developed.

10 Must-Dos When In Barcelona

High spirits and vitality govern in abundance when in Barcelona. This infectious capital of Catalonia, and second largest city in Spain, exudes soul and energy, living life to the full. Barcelona’s verve is matched by its magnificent architecture, characterised by one man’s signature, Antonio Gaudi.

1. Las Ramblas

Running from seafront through to Placa de Catalunya, Las Ramblas is a fusion of market stalls and street entertainment. Watch out for the mime artists, though keep a hand on your wallet.

2. Sagrada Familia Church

In progress since 1882, La Sagrada Familia is perhaps Antonio Gaudi’s most magnificent achievement. As yet unfinished, the ongoing construction of this gothic masterpiece is financed through tourism.

3. Picasso Museum

Born in Malaga, Pablo Picasso moved to Barcelona during his teen years. Though many of his greatest works are in private hands, the Picasso Museum on the Carrer Moncada is well worth a visit.

4. Casa-Museu Gaudi

A pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house is the setting for the Gaudi museum. Gaudi lived in this surreal location between 1906 and 1926 with his niece. Exhibits in the museum include furniture, drawings and portraits designed by the great man himself.

5. The Poble Espanyol

Completed in 1929, the ‘Spanish Village’ is a compilation of buildings representing the collective architectural characteristics of Spain. A celebration of all things Spanish, the village has become a gathering place to dine and be entertained.

6. Bishop’s Palace

After being destroyed by fire, Bishop Juan Bautista Grau i Vallespins commissioned Antonio Gaudi to design a new, more magnificent palace in 1887. Upon the bishop’s death, and consequent interference from the diocese, Gaudi abandoned the project. It was not inhabited until 1961.

7. Gothic Quarter

On the site of an ancient Roman village, the Gothic Quarter is a contrast of contemporary and medieval architecture, incorporating the magnificent 14th century cathedral.

8. Olympic Stadium

During 1992, the eyes of the world focused on the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona as they hosted the Olympic Games. Today a popular athletics facility, the stadium was a redesigned version of the original built in 1929.

9. Passeig de Gracia

As one of the major shopping areas of Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia caters for the modest, and also those who prefer the more sophisticated boutiques. Bars and restaurants also line the thoroughfare.

10. Lover’s Day

On behalf of those looking for romance, Barcelona obliges with its own version of St Valentines, known as Lover’s Day, celebrated every April 23rd.

About The Author

Steven Cronin owns the City Breaks website featuring city break special offers from luxury hotels to budget accommodations. For more information please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk.

A Whistlestop Tour of Barcelona, Spain

Only on a short trip to Barcelona? Never mind… there’s much you can see in a brief trip to this fascinating city. The article outlines some of the major attractions.

Visiting Barcelona, with limited time? There is so much to see in this fascinating city, which would normally take at least a week, but it is possible to see the major highlights in a couple of days too.

I would highly recommend the following:

The Gaudi masterpieces:

1. Temple de la Sagrada Familia – or Temple of the Sacred Family – Gaud’s unfinished masterpiece and a must-see in Barcelona. A fascinating combination of the original architects’ vision (Martorell and De Villar), combined with the magic of Gaud. Unfortunately Gaud passed away before the work was complete. Construction still continues on this amazing building and your entry fee helps towards this.

2. Casa Mil (La Pedrera) – in the L’Eixample neighbourhood – Antoni Gaud was commissioned by the industrialist, Pere Mil, to construct a building on the boundary of Barcelona and Grcia, as both a family residence and also to be leased as separate dwellings. Owing to the way its facade appears to be carved out of rock, the Casa Mil was nicknamed “La Pedrera”, which means stone quarry. Amazing interior architecture, as well as the famous and fascinating chimneys on the rooftop.

3. Casa Battlo also in the L’Eixample neighbourhood – a fairytale building. Originally Gaud was commissioned to demolish the building, and build from scratch, but he convinced the owner to let him completely redesign the existing building. This was in the days when the Paseo de Gracia was undergoing a “keep up with the Jones’” battle – everyone trying to outdo each other with their architecture. Gaud did an incredible job using tiles and scales on the exterior of the building, wonderful interior design, plus again the famous chimneys on the roof top.

4. Parque Guell (Guell Park) – ideal for a restful stroll after your busy days in Barcelona. Originally planned to be a residential area, it is now a beautiful park with many wonderful Gaud creations in tilework and stone. The views over Barcelona to the sea are simply beautiful.

Other areas worth visiting are the following:

- The very famous Las Ramblas – a busy street between the Plaza de Catalunya and the port with many restaurants, cafes, bars, kiosks and the famous Human Statues of Barcelona

- Poble Espaol de Montjuic (the Spanish Village) – situated at the foot of Mount Montjuic. Created in 1929 on the occasion of the Barcelona International Exhibition, the Spanish Village is the only initiative of its kind which has survived the test of time. A collection of streets and squares, monuments and buildings, representing the different peoples and cultures of Spain. Some might call it kitsch, but it is an attractive and interesting place to visit, full of shops selling the handicrafts of the various regions. There are restaurants and cafes to enjoy a break and also an art gallery, Fundacio Fran Daurel. Above the entrance is a terrace cafe with incredible views (but alas, bad service and incredibly high prices!) However, the views were worth it!

- The Cathedral – a Gothic creation of great beauty

- The Palau de la Musica – a beautiful concert hall

- The Port, Barceloneta and the beaches

Barcelona has many more attractions, too numerous to list here – so if you are only spending a couple of days in this city, plan ahead for a longer trip to Barcelona in the future – you will not regret it.

Anne Sewell is employed in internet travel and accommodation. More details of the above tourist attractions, plus photo galleries, can be viewed at All Barcelona Accommodation.